(pronounced KWAG-mIr or KWAHG-mIr)

Because this word describes soft, wet, spongy earth (like a bog or marsh) that gives way when stepped upon, it’s also used to describe a difficult, unsteady and risky situation — a predicament. The latter definition is most commonly used.

Example: Jennifer feared for the financial sustainability of her firm as the latest developments in the quagmire of the hotel design project that she had been immersed in for almost two years was dragging her company down.